Kenworth T880 · model year

2021 Kenworth T880

1 NHTSA complaints, and 8 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

Complaints
1
Recalls
8

The verdict

The 2021 Kenworth T880 posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.

Top 17%
fewest complaints, own model years
8
recall campaigns

The 2021KenworthT880 carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2021 T880 is service brakes with 1 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2021 T880. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2021 Kenworth T880

PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.

NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.

Total Complaints

1 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES1

Recalls (8)

21V00N00029/12/2021

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Peterbilt 567, 579, 2021-2022 Peterbilt 536, 2017-2021 Kenworth T880, 2016-2022 Kenworth T680, 2018-2020 Kenworth T440, 2020 Kenworth T270, and 2021 Kenworth T280 vehicles. The methane detection system will not function if the system loses

20V50600026/08/2020

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Peterbilt 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 567 and Kenworth T800, T880, W900, W990 vehicles equipped with Watson and Chalin steerable lift axle suspension systems (model SL2065). The axles may have lower rear pivot bolts that are not long enough t

21V39100026/05/2021

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Peterbilt 337, 348, 365, 367, 520, 567, Kenworth T270, T370, T440, T470, T800 and T880 vehicles. The sealing washer may not seat correctly in the pilot bore holes, allowing the high pressure fuel rail assembly to leak.

24V14500023/02/2024

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:RESERVOIR/TANK

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2009-2021 Kenworth C500, 2012-2021 Kenworth T440, 2009-2015 Kenworth T660, 2015-2024 Kenworth T680, 2009-2024 Kenworth T800, 2009-2020 Kenworth T370, 2014-2023 Kenworth T880, 2011-2016 Kenworth T470, 2023 Kenworth T480, and 2009-2019 Kenworth W900 ve

24V19000020/03/2024

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Peterbilt 365, 367, 389, 535, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, and 2021-2025 Kenworth T180, T280, T380, T480, T680, T880 and W990 trucks. The right-hand gear shifter stalk connectors may have been improperly crimped, resulting in a loss of communi

21V90600019/11/2021

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Kenworth T880, W990, Peterbilt 567, 579, 389, and 2022 Peterbilt 536, 537 wrecker and auto hauler vehicles. The work brake (winch brake) may unintentionally disengage the service brakes during winching operations, causing the vehicle to ro

21V08000017/02/2021

ENGINE

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Kenworth T680, T880, W990, T800, W900 and Peterbilt 579, 567, 389, 367 vehicles equipped with a Cummins X15 engine. The capscrews that attach the flywheel to the crankshaft may have been improperly torqued, allowing the flywheel to detach.

24V91500010/12/2024

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Peterbilt and Kenworth vehicles, equipped with Bendix EC80 Advanced Electronic Control Units (ECU). Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. Electrical noise and low signal to the power line carrier may cause the ECU to

Recent Complaints

20210115SERVICE BRAKES

TRACTOR ABS SYSTEM APPLIES THE BRAKES TO THE TRAILERS WHILE CORNERING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME UNCONTROLLABLE. THIS USUALLY OCCURS WHILE ENTERING OR EXITING A HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 30 MPH. THE ABS SYSTEM LOCKS UP THE BRAKES UNTIL THE TRACTOR AND TRAILERS COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THESE TRUCKS AND TRAILERS WEIGH APPROXIMATELY 155,000 LBS., AND LOSING CONTROL IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR ANYONE ON THE ROAD. THESE TRUCKS ARE 2021 MODELS WITH BENDIX ABS SYSTEMS. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF KENWORTH (THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURE) AND BENDIX (THE ABS SYSTEM MANUFACTURE). LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE TO RECTIFY THIS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SENSE THE TRACTORS WERE PUT INTO SERVICE APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS AGO. THERE IS NO WARNING BEFORE THE ABS SYSTEM LOCKS UP THE TRAILER BRAKES, AND THERE IS NOTHING THE DRIVER CAN DO TO CONTROL THE TRUCK WHILE THE BRAKES ARE LOCKED UP.

Mileage: 100

Compare 2021KenworthT880 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2021 Kenworth T880 have?
The 2021 Kenworth T880 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2021 Kenworth T880?
Yes, the 2021 Kenworth T880 has 8 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Kenworth T880?
The most-complained component for the 2021 Kenworth T880 is SERVICE BRAKES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2021 Kenworth T880 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2021 Kenworth T880; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.